Donald Pridham was one of many newcomers who had survived the war. Coutts Marjoribanks was another. He was the manager of the Coldstream Ranch and was already notorious by the time Donald arrived in Kelowna. Word quickly spread about this wild, rich Englishman and his love of the demon rum. It was just a matter of time before the two of them crossed paths. It was at the Palace Hotel on Bernard Avenue.

“Hey there, old boy, aren’t you Donald Pridham? I had heard you’d arrived in Kelowna. Good Lord, man, we are cousins. We are Aberdeens! Do join us.”

Marjoribanks waved Donald over to his table and introduced him to his friends. It was quickly obvious that they had been drinking.

“Here, have a drink, old sport. It’s the very best.”

Donald was confused. He knew that prohibition had been in place for a few years in British Columbia, yet here they were openly drinking alcohol. Actually, there was wine and beer at almost all the tables. He hesitated.

“Oh, don’t be such a stuffed shirt, Priddy. May I call you Priddy?”

There was no denying the charisma of his new best friend and also no denying him a new nickname, which Coutts would no doubt forget when he sobered up.

“I thought it was illegal to drink alcohol.”

The table of men roared with laughter.

“Well, yes, Priddy, it is unless one has a doctor’s prescription. You see, we are all very sickly, and our doctor is most sympathetic. In fact, I think he is sickly as well. I often see him drinking his own medicine.”

As though it had been rehearsed, every man at the table reached into his jacket pocket and waved a piece of paper. The whole table broke out again.

“Do you have a moment for a private conversation, old sport?”

Coutts took Donald aside over to another table.

“First of all, Priddy, I don’t want to stand on ceremony, do call me Coutts. I actually want to speak with you about an enterprise you might want to be a part of. There’s good money in it and not much work.”

Donald wanted to find out more.

Prohibition had begun in 1917 and had given rise to black market smuggling throughout the province. Bootleggers came to the Okanagan and also crossed into the United States just south of Osoyoos. The lake made transportation much easier, and border controls were not as tight in the interior as they were on the coast.

“What are you up to, Coutts? It doesn’t sound legal.”

“Oh legal shmeegle, old boy, this prohibition nonsense is just another way to say ‘opportunity.’ It won’t last; it’s a bit of a mockery already. It was those damned temperance women and their fight for women’ rights, which, don’t get me wrong, I am all for, but not at this price. No sooner did they get the right to vote than they took away our right to drink!”

Donald smiled.

“Well, it didn’t seem to have much effect, did it?”

“Yes, well, here’s why I wanted to talk to you, away from prying eyes.”

Coutts looked back to his friends.

“I am meeting with a man who has travelled from the coast tomorrow. His name is Reifel, George Reifel, and by all accounts he’s a rather notorious chap. He and his brother are setting up something big. He’s bringing up a load of prescription medicine, if you catch my drift. He’s sent word that he would like to set up a team in Kelowna who would supply the interior towns and also establish a cross-border operation. Are you interested, Priddy? It’s easy money.”

Donald could tell this was now a very serious conversation, and he assumed there would be very serious consequences if he betrayed Coutts.

“Look, Coutts, I am so pleased to have met you this afternoon. Your reputation had preceded you, and there’s no doubt you have lived up to it.”

Donald chose his words carefully.

“Thank you for taking me into your confidence. I can assure you that nothing you have said to me will go any further, but I’m going to decline your offer. I think I have a future here. It may not have the flair and excitement of which you speak, but I don’t think bootlegging is a path I should follow.” 

He paused a moment.

“There is lots of old-fashioned opportunity in this town, and it’s best that I see what’s available rather than take the risks your offer would involve.”

Coutts Marjoribanks hesitated and pretended to be disappointed, and then he threw his arms around Donald.

“I understand, old sport. You can’t blame a drunken remittance man for trying, now can you, Priddy? Oh look, I see my doctor has just arrived for dinner with his wife. Let’s go see about a prescription for you, shall we?”